Nick Jeanty says he likes the limelight, which is why the quarterback transferred to Miramar from Archbishop McCarthy and why he feels comfortable with wearing No. 12, the same jersey number Geno Smith did for the Patriots.

Considering that, there’s no better scenario for his Miramar debut than what’s on tap Sunday.

Jeanty and the Patriots, last year’s Class 8A state runner-up, will play the nation’s top-ranked team according to MaxPreps, reigning 7A state champ Bradenton Manatee, at 2 p.m. on the road. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

You want to make a grand impression, show that you’re poised to be the next great Miramar QB after Cam Hudge (2010-11), Ryan Williams (2009) and Geno Smith (2005-08)? Here’s your chance.

By all accounts, Jeanty should be the Patriots’ QB this season. Yet Coach Damon Cogdell isn’t quite ready to hand him the keys to the offense.

It seemed after last Friday night’s 28-0 preseason win against McArthur that Cogdell wants to keep pushing Jeanty to be even better, which is why he wasn’t ready to proclaim him the starter even though teammates widely regard him as such and an assistant coach said during warmups that he’d won the competition. According to Cogdell, the job was “in the air” heading into the final week of practice before the big season opener.

“Nick and [Gernald] Hawkins are still battling for that No. 1 spot. We have two quarterbacks that have different styles,” Cogdell said, noting that Jeanty is a drop-back passer and Hawkins a zone-read quarterback who excels at running the ball. “But I’m excited. I have two good quarterbacks, so we just have to make the most of what we have.”

[Update: Cogdell said Thursday before practice that he hasn't settled on who'll start Sunday and it'll "probably be a game-time decision." It's likely you'll see both under center at some point. How will the two juniors handle the pressure?

"It’ll be interesting to see how those two guys play," Cogdell said.]

Jeanty started against McArthur and played into the third quarter, completing 11-of-19 for 124 yards with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tanares Robinson and zero interceptions.

At least three of his incompletions were drops, including a deep pass into the end zone on the final play of the first half. Hawkins, who led Miramar's junior varsity to an undefeated record last season, looked good at times, too, but Jeanty clearly looked like the better of the two quarterbacks, both of whom still need to improve, Cogdell said.

“I was really nervous at the beginning, but the preseason game went pretty good,” Jeanty said. “I think I did pretty good. A couple of snaps were low so it made it hard for me to throw. But overally I think I did pretty good. Of course, we can always get better.”

Teammates were impressed.

“I feel once Nick starts getting a little comfortable in the pocket, he’s going to be able to make a lot more throws, be more confident, be the offensive general we need,” running back Alex Lee said.

“He’s a great player,” linebacker Jermaine Grace said. “I like seeing him on the field throw the ball.”

Jeanty, who gets challenged on a daily basis in practice by Miramar’s vaunted “Dark Side” defense, said he feels comfortable with his receivers after working with them in the spring and then during the summer in 7-on-7 tournaments.

“The chemistry can only get better,” he said. “We have talent all across the board – receivers, running backs, everywhere.”

Cogdell said the passing game is still a work in progress.

The running game, meanwhile, is stout with Lee, Cameron Rigby and Alex Anderson. Rigby, a junior transfer from Chaminade-Madonna who’ll also return punts and kickoffs for Miramar, had three carries for 92 yards, as well as a 47-yard touchdown burst negated by an illegal motion penalty.

“Cam, you can give him the ball and it’s a 90-yard score,” Jeanty said. “You can always count on Cam. I knew him in Optimist and played against him. He did the same thing as here – he made plays when it was needed. He’s a playmaker. You just have to get the ball in his hands.”

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About the authors

DAVE BROUSSEAU is the High School Sports Coordinator and has been covering high school sports at the Sun Sentinel for over 30 years.

CHRISTY CABRERA CHIRINOS I'm one of the few who can say they were born and raised in South Florida. I stumbled upon a love of writing while a student at the University of Miami. After too many sleepless nights trying to decipher chemistry assignments, it was time to change majors and I graduated in 2000 with a degree in journalism and English Literature. After a brief stint as an online producer for SunSentinel.com, I got the call to cover high school sports.
I'm enjoying the job today as much as I did at my first Friday night football game. After all, where else do you get to cover games from the sidelines and have the opportunity to meet tomorrow's stars before they really hit it big?

DIETER KURTENBACH a Chicago native and 2010 Missouri School of Journalism graduate, has covered Missouri Tigers athletics for KCOU radio and the Columbia Missourian, Major League Soccer for Comcast SportsNet-Chicago, and lunch orders for ESPN Radio-Chicago. Kurtenbach was part of the Missourian team that earned first place in "Breaking News" at the 2010 Associated Press Sports Editors awards, but his real passion is his constant quest to find the world’s best sandwich – if you have a tip, don’t hesitate to send it his way.